Ellison’s earliest work largely focused on animals that he had seen firsthand on excursions over the course of his life. While occasional vampires, werewolves, and beautiful young women would enter the mix, Ellison, for the most part, concentrated his efforts on the depiction of quirky animals.

More recently, the artist’s paintings have generally grown larger, and he has veered more toward his macabre subject matter. Inspired by Scandinavian folk art he admired while living in Sweden, along with obscure horror films, grisly tales, and popular music (Ellison is also a recording artist), the darkly humorous works are often sparse and enigmatic, suggesting but never completely offering extended narratives.